Man acquitted in sex assault case as sister doesn't testify

A special court on last Saturday acquitted a 23-year-old man in a case of sexually assaulting his then 15-year-old sister in 2016 after the girl did not appear before the court to testify and his mother did not support the prosecution case.

The mother, who had deposed, had told the court that her daughter had falsely implicated her son as she had a love affair with someone that her brother did not like.

“Pertinent to note that the victim’s mother does not support the prosecution. She does not utter a single word against the accused, probably because he is her son..She has stated before court that her daughter is now married and stays at her matrimonial home,” the court stated.

It noted that since the beginning, the mother and the victim did not cooperate with the police in the investigation. Even the girl’s birth certificate was not furnished to the police, which is required to establish the victim’s age as a minor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

It mentioned an affidavit filed by the mother expressing her unwillingness to disclose her daughter’s address. The mother said in the affidavit that her daughter does not have a mobile number and her in-laws do not know anything about the case. She apprehends that her daughter’s married life will be spoilt if her in-laws know about the matter. She further said that her daughter is unwilling to come before the court for testimony. The mother had filed a missing report with Worli Plice after her daughter had gone missing on 25 March 2016. When she returned the next day, she took her to the police station. There the girl told the police that her own brother had sexually assaulted her.